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Newberg
child waits
for a heart |
2-month-old Anneke Schippers is born with a heart defect that
requires a transplant to save her life |
By Gunnar Olson, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Gunnar at golson@eaglenewspapers.com
|
 Anneke Hope Schippers has never seen her home in Newberg — she’s
in California waiting for a new heart.
Mike and Rachel Schippers (pronounced skippers) were visiting the doctor for
Rachel’s 20-week ultrasound when they found out their second child was a girl and
there may be troubles with her heart. After a long weekend and another ultrasound by a
pediatric cardiologist they learned the baby’s heart condition was hypoplastic left
heart syndrome.
The condition means the child is missing the left ventricle of her heart. She
also suffers from leaking heart valves.
Mike said the diagnosis set off a hurricane of emotions.
“Pretty much you get that shock feeling where, you know, you have
certain expectations about how the pregnancy is going to go, what life is going to be like
with a daughter,” he said over the phone Thursday morning. “You’re looking
forward to a normal family, and all of a sudden you have no idea what’s going to
happen.”
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is the most common of congenital heart
diseases, affecting 8 percent of children afflicted with congenital heart disease,
according to the University of Minnesota Medical School. It is also one of the most common
causes for early cardiac death, with infants usually dying in the first week.
Anneke was born eight pounds, 11 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long on Feb. 20 at
Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital in Portland. Save for breaking the baby’s
right clavicle, the birth went smoothly. “At that point she was pretty much being a
normal baby,” Schippers said.
But as the days went on her condition worsened, requiring a surgery when she
was 3 days old on her aorta to make her blood flow more easily to the body instead of to
her lungs.
Within the week the Schippers were faced with a couple options: The baby
could undergo a series of surgeries over a several-year period, called the Norwood
Procedure, that would redirect some of the blood flow around the heart so her body gets
more blood and more oxygen. The downside to this is her quality of life is forever
compromised. She could never participate in sports, for example, and she’d often be
short on breath.
The other option was a new heart.
Now the family is at a long-term housing facility, the Ronald McDonald House
in Loma Linda, Calif., where they’re close to Anneke, who’s at the Loma Linda
University Children’s Hospital.
Her condition fluctuates daily and her future is unknown. A new heart could
come tomorrow or could not come for a year. With a new heart she will need to stay at the
hospital an additional six months while doctors see to it that her body accepts the new
organ.
Mike and Rachel, 26 and 23, respectively, met at Dordt College in Souix City,
Iowa, and settled in Newberg. Their first child, Gideon, 2, was with them in California
for a while. He’s back now in Newberg with his maternal grandparents, John and Sipkje
(most people call her Sylvia) Mahaffy. John is the pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church
in Newberg.
In addition to watching their grandson, John and Sylvia have kept the
extended family up-to-date on the latest developments. A large family spread throughout
the country, e-mail had already established itself as the best way to keep in touch.
So when scores of relatives wanted daily updates, John started an Anneke
update Web site, www.tinyurl/243g3, and in it asks that everyone pray for her health.
Photographs of Anneke and the family are also posted.
The story of the little girl waiting for a heart has spread beyond the family
to strangers across the globe who want to be posted on Anneke’s condition. As early
as Feb. 27, John reported in his update: “Literally throughout the world people are
praying. It’s humbling. And it’s a reminder that we all live daily by
(God’s) grace.”
A fund has also been established, the Trinity Presbyterian Church Diaconal
Fund, to which several good Samaritans unknown to the family have donated. The fund
defrays medical expenses beyond what insurance covers, as well as living expenses. To
donate, mail checks to the church at 600 E. Columbia Drive, Newberg, OR 97132.
On Wednesday late afternoon, Gideon was playing with Grandma, crawling around
on the couch.
“What’s wrong with your sister?” Sylvia asked him.
“A broken heart,” Gideon said.
“Will she get a new one?” Grandma asked. She waited a second, then gave
him his line: “I hope so.”
“I hope so,” he said. |
|
From May 5, 2004,
Newberg Graphic
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